Welcome to Silent Flight!

One very popular category for Radio Controlled aircraft is the glider or sailplane. It is also an excellent way to get into the R/C aircraft hobby as it is less expensive and somewhat less complex than powered aircraft. Even though a glider is not powered, it can sustain flight for quite long periods of time and can reach high speeds, depending on its design. Many gliders are light and very stable making them an excellent choice for a beginner to learn to fly.

Gliders designed for thermal soaring are generally of similar shape with long, slender wings for greater lift and a sleek body for low drag. Many will have wings with polyhedral (a multiple dihedral) and the tail surfaces may take several forms such as a conventional tail, crusifix tail, T-tail, or V-tail. Thermal gliders are generally grouped into four different classes.

Hand Launch — The smallest is the "hand launch" glider with a span up to 1.5 meters (59"). These models are, as the name implies, launched by hand and it is up to the pilot to remain airborn for as long as possible. It certainly helps to have a good throwing arm with these models! "Hand launch" is perhaps not the best place to start as generally these models are small enough to require miniature radio equipment which is a bit more expensive than the standard size equipment.

Two Meter — The second, and most popular size of glider is the "2-Meter" with a wingspan of up to 2 meters (78"). These models will usually accomodate standard radio equipment and require 2 channels of control; the rudder for steering and the elevator for pitch. Many have detachable wing panels for easy transportation and storage. Launching is best accomplished by either hi-start or winch as discussed later.

Standard Class — The third class of sailplane is the "standard class" with wingspans of up to 100". These models will accomodate standard radio equipment of 2 to 4 channels, the additional options being flaps and spoilers. Again, launching is best accomplished by either hi-start or winch as discussed later.

Open Class — The fourth and largest size of sailplane is the "open class" and this encompasses all gliders over 100" in span. Again 2 to 4 channels of control are the norm and launching is best accomplished by winch as discussed later.

Launching a glider in slope lift is as simple as tossing the model out over the slope, however, launching for a thermal flight takes a bit more equipment. There are four basic ways of getting a thermal model into flight, a hi-start, a winch, a glow engine power pod and an electric motor.

Hi-Start — The hi-start is basically a very long sling-shot. It consists of a length of surgical tubing (usually 50 to 100 feet) staked to the ground at one end and fastened to about four times as much nylon line (200 to 400 feet) at the other. A parachute/ring assembly on the end of the nylon line is clipped to a hook on the bottom of the glider at approximately the center of gravity. The tubing is streched to almost four times its length. When the pilot lets go of the model, it will soar at a very steep angle until the tubing has relaxed and the model is at peak altitude (anywhere from 250 to 400 feet). At that time, the line will drop off the hook and the parachute will guide the line back to the ground. Since launches are always made into the wind, the parachute will carry the line back toward the general location of the launch. The hi-start is an excellent choice for the beginning sailplane pilot.

Winch — The winch will launch a glider in a manner very similar to that of a hi-start, but the mechanism to accomplish this is much more complex and much more expensive. Generally winches are homemade and consist of an electric motor, powered by a 12 volt car battery, driving a drum onto which the nylon towline is wound. Again, a parachute is used for retrieval of the line. The motor is operated by a foot switch which is quite often pumped by the operator so as not to overpower smaller gliders. The power of a winch is substantially greater than that of a hi-start and that is why it is more suitable for the larger models found in "open class".

Power Pod — The third method of glider launch is by glow engine power assist. This is basically a small engine mounted in a pod atop the center of gravity of the model. It is used to bring the model to altitude and then is shut off or runs out of fuel. This is a great way for attaining very high altitudes with your model but gliding performance will suffer with a pod mounted engine due to the extra drag.

Electric Motor — A fourth method, which has become very popular with the advancement in NiCd technology, is an electric motor launch. The electric motor is mounted in the nose of the aircraft and will quite often have a folding prop which will fold back against the fuselage to reduce drag when the motor run has completed.

The Glider — Just as with powered aircraft, there are some glider kits that are better suited to the beginner than others. A good choice would be something in the 2-meter class requiring only 2 channels of control, a kit with a sturdy construction, and good building instructions. This type of aircraft is recommended regardless of whether you plan to thermal or slope soar. Models designed specifically for slope soaring are quite a bit faster and not as conducive to learning to fly. Save one of these for your second model.

Again, as with powered aircraft, you have the choice of building a model completely or just doing the final assembly of an Almost-Ready-to-Fly (ARF) kit. Your choice should simply be driven by your desire to build. There are a few additional items you are bound to need to complete your model, but the list is much shorter than that required to finish most powered aircraft. We have tried to compile a list of additional items necessary for completing many of the kits we carry and these are listed with the kit as described in the catalog. A discussion of many of these accessories may be found at the end of the "Introduction to R/C Aircraft".

The Radio — Along with your aircraft, you will need a radio to control it. Most aircraft radio systems are of four or more channel capability and come with just about everything you need including the rechargeable battery packs. Refer to our "Introduction to Radio Systems" section for more information on this. There are some units available with special functions included that are usually with more sophisticated gliders. These certainly are not necessary for the beginning modeler, however.

Although your first glider will most likely only need two channels of operation, you are still better off buying a four channel system. That is because all four channel systems come complete with rechargable batteries while the two channel systems do not. It is always safer to fly radio controlled model aircraft with rechargable NiCd batteries. By the time you outfit a 2 channel radio with the appropriate batteries and charger, you will have paid almost as much as for the 4 channel system. Also, the stick configuration on 2 channel radios is more suitable for vehicles than it is for aircraft.

One thing you may want to look for when buying your first radio is "buddy box" capability. The "buddy box" is where two radio transmitters may be connected together through a cable, the instructor holding one and the student holding the other. The student can have control over the model as long as the instructor holds a trainer switch on his transmitter. If the student gets into trouble, the instructor releases the switch and regains full control of the model. This can greatly decrease the learning time and also be good insurance against accidents with the novice pilot. Check with the local club or instructor to see if they have "buddy box" capability and if so, you may wish to purchase a compatible radio system.

When Launching with a Hi-Start — Launching with a Hi-start is probably the simplest and cleanest way to become airborn and, as a result, it is the most popular. The only item you will need is your hi-start. Theses come in various sizes and can be found in the Glider Accessories section of our catalog.

When Launching with a Glow Motor — Most 2-meter size gliders require a .049 engine for power pod launch. For this you will require one of the Cox .049 engines, a power pod, paint or finishing material for the power pod if required, and a 1/2a starter kit, which usually has everything you need including fuel, starting battery, wrench, and glow head clip.